Drafting device



y 1959 s. F. VAN DERDYS 2,896,366

4 DRAFTING DEVICE Filed Aug. 2, 195'? INVENTOR.

SIVAN VAN-DERDYS WW W$W DRAFTING DEVICE Sivan F. Van Derdys, Santurce, Puerto Rico Application August 2, 1957, Serial No. 676,042

3 Claims. (Cl. 45-131) This invention relates to a drafting device or apparatus, and more specifically the invention pertains to apparatus adapted for connection with the conventional drafting board to facilitate the task of the draftsman, architect or engineer.

It is well known, in this art, that draftsmen engaged in drawing on large sheets find it comparatively easy to make drawings adjacent the bottom of the drafting board,

but it is virtually impossible to make drawings at the center or the top portions of the sheet with the same accuracy and facility with which the drawings are made at the lower or bottom end of the board. As a general rule, the only practical solution to this problem is to remove the drawing from the board and to then reposition it adjacent the lower end of the board which entails loss of time in the removal, realigning, and resecuring the sheet on the board. Consequently, one of the primary objects of this invention is to provide means for connection with a conventional drafting board which obviates the necessity of removing, realigning and refixing a large sheet of drawings on a drafting board when making drawings at the central and upper portions thereof with the resulting saving in time.

Another object of this invention is to provide an attachment for a drafting board for shifting a sheet of drawings vertically thereon without the necessity of removing the same therefrom and refixing and realigning the sheet.

A further object of this invention is to provide an attachment for a drawing board of the type referred to above, the attachment effecting the shifting of a sheet of drawings vertically so that that portion of the sheet presently being worked upon is located adjacent the bottom end of the drafting board, giving rise to cleaner drawings and clothing due to less rubbing of the arms and elbows against the drawing surface.

A still further object of this invention is to provide an attachment of the type referred to supra, which does not demand the construction of a special drafting board or table. a

It is still another object of this invention to provide an attachment for a drafting board for vertically shifting a sheet of drawings thereon, the apparatus being adapted for installation on any existing conventional drafting board or table of standard size andwithout restriction as to the length, width, or thickness thereof.

This invention contemplates, as a still further. object thereof, an attachment for a drafting boardfor vertically 1 1 shifting a sheetof drawings relative thereto, wherein the operating means is conveniently locatedand within easy reach of the operator.

,Still another object of this invention is to provide means ,of the type described supra, the means beingmade available in kit form. r

, This invention has, as a still further object thereof, the provision of means of the typereferred to above, which is non-complex in construction and assembly, inexpensive to manufacture, and durable in use. 7 Other and further objects and advantages of the present United Stat Patent Patented July 28, 1959 invention will become more evident from a consideration of the following specification when read in conjunction with the annexed drawing, in which:

6 Figure l is a perspective view of a conventional drawing board, having means thereon constructed in accordance with the teachings of the present invention for vertically shifting a sheet of drawings relative thereto;

Figure 2 is a detailed, cross-sectional view of the drawing board and means illustrated in Figure 1, Figure 2 being taken substantially on the vertical plane of line 22 of Figure 1, looking in the direction of the arrows;

Figure 3 is an enlarged detailed, cross-sectional view taken substantially on the vertical plane of line 3-3 of Figure 1, looking in the direction of the arrows;

Figure 4 is a detailed, cross-sectional view taken substantially on the horizontal plane of line 4-4 of Figure 3, looking in the direction of the arrows;

Figure 5 is an exploded perspective view of the roller disposed at the upper edge or that edge of the drawing board, remotely disposed with respect to the draftsman, together with the journal box and the various assembly elements for the roller shaft;

Figure 6 is a detailed, cross-sectional view, taken substantially on the vertical plane of line 6--6 of Figure 5, looking in the direction of the arrows; and

Figure 7 is a detailed, cross-sectional view of the journal box at the lower left hand side of the drafting board, this view being taken substantially on the vertical plane of line 7--7 of Figure 1, looking in the direction of the arrows.

6 Referring now more specifically to the drawings, reference numeral 10 designates, in general, a conventional drawing board which may have any desired length, width and thickness. The sheet shifting attachment to which this invention is addressed comprises an elongated shaft 12 on which is secured a cylindrical roller 14 having striations 16 extending longitudinally thereof substantially parallel to its longitudinal axis. The roller 14 is positioned adjacent the upper edge of the drafting board 10, or that edge thereof which is remote from the draftsman. One end of the shaft 12 has mounted thereon a washer 18, and the outer end thereof is rotatably journaled in a ball bearing 20 disposed within a substantially hollow rectangular journal box 22.

The journal box 22 (see Figures 5 and 6) includes integrally connected top and bottom walls 24, 26, side walls 28, 30, and an end wall 32. The top wall 24 has integrally formed flange 24' which projects laterally outwardly beyond the side wall 28, and the side wall 28 is provided with a flange 28' which projects laterally away j from the end wall 32. An elongated ogive cavity 34 exlar material 1s disposed within the ournal box 22, the

tends inwardly from the open side of the journal box 22, the arcuate end thereof 36 having-a substantially semicircular configuration.

A packing member 38 formedjof rubber or other simipacking member 38 having a semi-circular cut out 40 formed therein positioned in confronting relation relative to the semi-circular end 36 of the cavity 34. The semi-circular end 36 of the cavity 34 taken together with the semi-circular cut out 40 formed in the packing member 38 form a substantially hollow cylindrical socket which receives the ball bearing member 20 therein.

The above described journal box 22 is disposed at the upper left hand side of the drawing board 10, and

the other end of the shaft 12 is provided with an identical bearing assembly and journal box 22A except that the journal box 22A is of opposite face. A countersunk opening 42 extends transversely through the flange 24' and a similar countersunk opening 44 extends transversely through the flange 28'. The openings 42, 44 receive wood screws therethrough whereby the journal boxes 22, 22A,

may be fixedly secured to the drawing board 10. The I flange24 is also provided with .an opening 46 which serves a purpose to be described.

Reference numerals 48 and 50 denote a roller and a shaft, respectively, identically" constructed with respect to the shaft 12 and roller .14 referred to above. The roller 48 is positioned at the lower left hand side of the drawing board proximate. the draftsman and both ends of the shaft 50 are provided with the same washer and roller bearing assembly previously described. However, the journal boxes for the opposed ends .of the shaft 50 dilfer from each other and from the previously described journal boxes 22, 22A.

The journal box at the lower left hand side of the drawing board 10 is seenin Figure 7. This journal box, denoted in general by the reference numeral .52, differs from the construction of the journal boxes22, 22A in but one respect. As is illustrated in Figure 7 of the drawings, it is seen that the journal box 52 is formed of a substantially solid rectangular metallic block 53 having a cylindrical opening 54 extending inwardly from a side thereof to receive the bearing 20at the left hand end of the shaft 50. The opening 54 is encompassed by opposed side walls 55, 56, top and bottom walls '57, 58, and the end wall 59. The top wall 57 is extended into a flange 57 which is fixedly secured by screws (not shown) to the upper side of the board 10 in the manner described above. 7

The journal box at the right hand side of the drawing board 10 adjacent the lower end thereof is illustrated in detail in Figures 3 and 4. This journal box bears the general reference numeral 60 and is seen .to include two well defined sections, namely, the journal box proper denoted at 60A and a gear housing 60B. The journal box proper 60A is identical with respect to the journal box 52 and comprises a substantially solid member 62 having a circular opening 64 extending inwardly from one side thereof to receive the ballbearing 20 mounted on the other or right hand end of the shaft 50. The end wall 66 corresponding to :the end wall 59, is provided with a central aperture68 through which extends an end portion 70 of the shaft 50, the end portion 70 having a reduced diameter and projecting into the gear housing 60B.

The gear housing 60B comprises laterally spaced and substantially rectangular parallel extensions 72, 74 of the side Walls of the journal box proper 60A (corresponding to the side walls 55, 56), and an end wall 76.. A top wall 78, corresponding to the top Wall 57 extends across the journal box proper 60A and the gear housing 608 and is provided with a flange 78' superposed on the board 10 and secured thereto by screws 79.

The end portion 70 of the shaft 50 is fixedly secured in the hub 80 of the bevel gear 82 disposed in the housing 60B. A second bevel gear 84 meshes with the first and is mounted on for rotation with a cross-shaft 86, the opposed ends of the latter being journaled for rotation in suitable apertures 88, 90 formed in the side walls 72, 74, respectively. The cross-shaft 86 has a portion thereof projecting laterally and exteriorly beyond the side wall 72 for connection with the manually operable knob 92.

An endless flexible .belt 94 formed of a strong paper with its top surface lacquered or treated with a plastic coating is trained around the rollers 16, 48 and extends around the board 10 with the belt engaging the upper side thereof. This material .is preferred, inasmuch as its lightness reduces the bottom sag or catenary to a minimum. The belt is adapted to receive a sheet of drawings .96 releasably secured thereto by conventional adhesive tape 98. As is seen in Figure 1, the sheet is normally positioned below the straight edge 100, the ends of which are connected to a conventional guide wire 102 intermediate its'respective ends. The wire 102 is trained around "the guides "103 and its endsare fixedly secured to 2,896,866 V g q r r 4 the board 10 by means of the wood screws 104 which extend through the openings 46.

As a consequence of the above described structure, it now becomes manifest that the vertical position of the sheet 96 may be varied relative to the board 10 through the simple expedient of rotating the knob 92 which activates the gear train 82, 84 to effect rotation of the driving roller 48. The striations on the rollers 16, 48 increases the coefficient of friction between them and the belt 94 to effect a more positive driving relation therebetween.

From the foregoing description, and as illustrated in the drawings, it is now clear that the draftsman can work on the central or upper portions of the sheet 94 with the same facility as he executes his work on the bottom portion.

Of further import, it is pointed out that the drafting board attachment is constructed in such a manner that the rollers 14-ai1d 48 are always tangent to the extended plane of the upper surface of the board 10, regardless of the thickness thereof.

A further dominating feature ofthis invention resides in the provision of the resilient packing members 38. The resiliency thereof insures automatic parallelism of the rollers regardless of lack of parallelism of the drawing board edges. In this regard, the inherent cellular rigidity of the paper belt 94 is most important for it is this factor that forces the automatic adjustment of the rollers.

The relative simplicity of the above described attachment makes it possible to package the same in kit form when presented to the market.

It should be understood that, if desired, a journal box such as the journal box indicated at 22 in Figures 5 and -6 1 could be substituted for the journal box 62 shown in Figure 7.

Having described and illustrated in detail one embodiment of this invention, it will be understood that the same is offered merely by way of example, and that the invention is to be limited only by the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1'. Incombination with a drafting board having a polygonal configuration including a pair of oppositely disposed parallel edges, afirst pair of journal boxes secured to said board and-projecting beyond one of said parallel edges, a roller bearing disposed within each of said 'first pair of journal boxes, an elongated shaft having a-pair of opposed ends and a roller fixedly secured thereon for rotation therewith, said opposed ends of said shaft being journa'lled, respectively, within said bearing; that improvement which comprises a secondpair of journal boxes fixedly secured to said board, said second pair of journal boxes projecting beyond the other of said parallel edges and having .a pair of confronting cavities formed therein, each of 'said cavities having an ogive configuration including a semi-circular end wall and an oppositely disposed end wall extending perpendicular to the radius which bisects said semi-circular wall, a resilient element disposed in the cavity of each of said second journal boxes, each of said resilient elements having a semi-circular recess formed therein disposed in confronting relation relative to saidsemi-circular wall to complement'the same and to form a substantially hollow cylindrical recess inconjunction :therewith, said resilient elements each having an end thereof abutting-against said oppositely disposed walls, a ball bearing positioned within each of said cylindrical recesses, a shaft having a pair of opposed ends, a roller fixedly secured on said shaftfor rotation therewith, an endless belt trained around said rollers and slidably engaging a side of said board, and said resilient elements being under compression to constantly bias said last named ball bearings 'for movement towards said semi-circular walls of said second .pair of journals to maintain constanttension on said endless belt.

2. In the combination defined in claim '1, a gear train and operating means therefor, said train being connected with one of said shafts whereby actuation of said last named means effects rotation of said shafts and their respective rollers and imparts constant movement to said belt relative to said board.

3. In combination with a drafting board having a polygonal configuration including a pair of oppositely disposed parallel edges, a pair of journal boxes secured to said board and projecting beyond one of said parallel edges, a roller bearing disposed within each of said first pair of journal boxes, an elongated shaft having a pair of opposed ends and a roller fixedly secured thereon for rotation therewith, said opposed ends of said shaft being journalled, respectively, within said bearing; that improvement which comprises a second pair of journal boxes fixedly secured to said board and projecting beyond the other of said parallel edges, said second pair of journal boxes having a pair of confronting cavities formed there in having an ogive configuration and each of said second journal boxes including a semi-circular wall and an oppositely disposed end wall positioned perpendicular to the radius biseeting said semi-circular wall, a resilient element disposed in the cavity of each of said second journal boxes, a ball bearing disposed within each of said second journal boxes and being partially received, respectively, within each of said semi-circular walls, said resilient element engaging against said wall positioned perpendicular to the radius bisecting said semi-circular wall and abutting against said ball hearings to constantly urge said ball bearings for movement towards said semicircular wall, and an endless belt trained around said rollers.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 397,427 Henley Feb. 5, 1869 832,967 Grinnell Oct. 9, 1906 902,494 Johannesmeyer Oct. 27, 1908 1,208,024 Sinclair Dec. 12, 1916 2,007,152 Allee July 9, 1935 2,141,145 Wooler Dec. 20, 1938 2,173,250 Fay Sept. 19, 1939 2,201,477 Chamberlin May 21, 1940 2,632,975 Klabune Mar. 31, 1953 2,703,468 Sheinvuald Mar. 8, 1955 2,826,464 Hawk et a1. Mar. 11, 1958 

